Breanna Stewart puts Liberty on brink of first WNBA title

MINNEAPOLIS — Breanna Stewart sat on the bench in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in the WNBA Finals on Wednesday, her team down two points. The New York Liberty had clawed back from a 15-point first-quarter deficit, largely thanks to a superb 30-point night from Stewart.

Before the Liberty returned to the floor against the home team Lynx and their 19,521 fans eager to see Minnesota return to its championship glory, Stewart emphatically delivered a simple message before the timeout ended.

“We are not going to f—ing lose this game.”

“I could feel it,” Stewart said of the moment. “You could feel the momentum was shifting to our side. It [was] like, if we are going to be this close, we are not leaving here without this win.”

The Liberty brought Stewart’s plea into fruition.

Behind 11 points in the final 2:10 from Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones — capped by Ionescu’s 28-foot 3-pointer to win the game — New York secured a 80-77 comeback victory to move within one win of clinching…